Railroads profiting from high oil prices
6/24/07
Salt Lake Tribune, United States
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The Truckers Report Merchandise

Only one problem.....railroad infrastructure isnn't capable of handling much more than 14% of the freight moved across the US.
One disavantage truckers face over railroads though is; railroads have enjoyed an ever increasing share of the FUEL Tax Dollars (paid by truckers) in the form of Federal Subsidies for about 30 years now. It is time to put trucking on a levelplaying surface with railroads and stop giving railroads a free ride on the backs of hardworking truckdrivers.

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If the powers that be decide we're going to get more of our things via the rails, that is what will happen.

In the late 1920s, there was hardly any electricity in some parts of the rural south. Within 5 years or so, the TVA changed all that.

I think we can tell for sure if rails are gonna make a comeback by watching railroad equipment construction. If you suddenly see a lot of new cars and locomotive units out and about, the powers may have made the decision that rails are coming back.

I say "may" because even new equipment construction may not tell the tale. I think a LOT of train cars were built in the late 60s and early 70s. These may be at the end of their useful lives now, meaning new cars will be simply replacing those that already exist. Can we use locomotive construction alone as a guide? Maybe. Maybe not.

What we DO know is Berkshire has put a lot of money into railroads, and those guys are gonna demand a return on those investments. They'll get 'em, too. Buffet and Co are big boys who can turn certain economic screws in order to get a certain outcome. I predict the new TVA will be known by other acronyms, such as NS, UP, and BNSF.

As much as I hate to say it, high diesel prices are here to stay, meaning your truck may go the way of the do-do bird fairly soon. As the extinction wave starts, many companies will begin implementing mandatory-teaming and no-idling policies for solo drivers. This will keep some drivers' jobs alive for a little while. And as those drivers toss and turn in their roasting or freezing cabs, they'll be able to look out at the shiny, black Norfolk Southern locomotives, brand new off the line, rollling by making Warren & Co the big bucks.

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--Paved Dudley--

Yeah I drive a Swift truck
And that means one thing
It means she's slow
It's a typical company truck
It's just all show and no go

I'm gettin' passed by Yella
And even Overnite
I'm gettin' passed by ever' body in sight
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight

No, my hometown's nowhere in sight
And if you think I'm pissed off
You're right
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight


Love pissing off those trucking company insiders.